Category: Kidzu Blog

Gordon Jameson, one of the founding members of FRANK , recently came to Kidzu and participated in Makery Masterpieces. While collectively making a mural, Jameson taught kids who visited the Makery about the use of shapes and body forms in art. Jameson is currently showing off the Makery masterpiece to the public in the new exhibit at FRANK gallery. FRANK gallery is on Franklin Street at 109 East Franklin Street.  Visit FRANK with your family and check out the amazing creation that was made possible by Gordon Jameson and Kidzu kids. 

Last week in the Makery we made our own stuffed animals! Kids used felt, stuffing, buttons, and any other material they could find in the Makery to invent their perfect stuffed animal. After everyone created their own unique stuffed animal they could go to Kidzu’s Teddy Bear Clinic. At the Teddy Bear Clinic our friends from UNC Med School and Duke Nursing school helped to teach basic medical skills using the stuffed animals. Kids also made emergency prep kits to make sure everyone is prepared for an emergency!

In Kidzu this week we are learning about changes that occur from shape to sculpture. Come to the Makery during Messy Mornings and make your own ‘PLAYdough!’ Learn about the different ingredients that are mixed together to form your own handmade playdough! After you make your creation you can personalize it by dying it different colors. You can also use your play dough to create amazing sculptures. Let your imagination soar!

In the Makery we have boxes and bins full of recycled materials that can be transformed into any creation you can imagine. In the photo above these Makery inventors used simple objects such as popsicle sticks, bottle caps, boxes, and a ruler to create a unique boat. They demonstrated great leadership and worked together to create this one of a kind invention. Come to the Makery any day of the week and browse through the scrapyard to find materials that could spark your imagination! We have items ranging from old cassette tapes to pasta noodles and fabric scraps. When you’re at Kidzu ask one of the Makery fellows working to take a photo of your creation and you too could be featured on the blog!

In the Makery we have many different tools to help you learn through creative processes. Today we are playing with Straws and Connectors. Projects with Straws and Connectors begin as a pile of simple and ordinary objects, but what has been created is extraordinary. In this photo above there are two Makery creators who have begun the first stage of their creation. Come to the Makery to find out what you could make out of Straws and Connectors. It has been rumored that you can build a tower out of the straws that is high enough to touch the ceiling! Come and try!

Today in the Makery we made sculptures resembling the talented artist Giacometti. Kids twisted and transformed tin foil into human figures and other unique sculpture shapes. They did this while having fun and learning about the Italian and Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti! Come in next Thursday for the new Makery Masterpiece event! We will be learning about Frank Stella and his amazing canvases!

In our last Mix It Up in the Makery we had artist Jeannette Brossart visit Kidzu and help create an amazing sculpture out of school supplies. If you have been to the Makery before you have probably seen some of Brossart’s previous work. She was the artist who created the F out of crayons that is hanging in the back of the Makery on the wall. If you have not seen this before I suggest that you find it on your next visit, it is amazing! During her most recent visit she worked with children to create a M in the similar fashion as the F. While both works of art use crayons to portray an image there are subtle differences between the two pieces and how the crayons were placed into the art. Come to the Makery and compare the two pieces! Stay informed with Kidzu to find out how to get involved with the next Mix It Up event!

A flashback to the original Kidzuville. This idea has transformed in the past three months into an amazing creation! Kids have created houses, schools, road system, and so much more out of recycled materials. Everything you see in this picture, you can also find at your house. Come in to the Makery to help improve out Kidzuville or build one at your house and send us in a photo! Get creative!

Come get down with Marcia Blackstock at Kidznotes every week! We make fun instruments and sing songs with all of our Kidzu friends. In this photo one of our Kidzu creators is showing off his shoebox guitar. He made a guitar out of a shoebox, a cardboard roll, and rubber bands. Come to the Makery and show us what you can make!

Last week in the Makery we were discovering how steam can change our art. We used straws to blow watercolor around the page and create our own unique artwork! Come to the Makery this week to see what the new Messy Morning activity of the week is!